Pages

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

On Running with a Partner

Ever since the half marathon, I have been in funk. Both mentally and physically. It's that post-Christmas feeling letdown, combined with disappointment, combined with wondering "what's next?", combined with the nonstop urge to just EAT MY FEELINGS.

Yeah. Not Good.

So when my friend Kristy texted me last night with the words, "Run tomorrow? Don't be lazy.", I sighed inwardly and responded, "OK boss."

I sooo didn't want to go.

I sooo knew that I NEEDED to go. That I would NEVER motivate on my own to get back out there.

I was less than enthused when my alarm buzzed at 5am this morning.

But knowing that Kristy was soon gonna be at my door got me up and ready.

Our plan was to run 5 miles. MY plan was to run fast, no matter what the distance. To prove to myself that I CAN run faster than trudging along at an 11-minute mile pace, dammit. (But I wasn't sure that I could.)

It felt good to run faster than normal. It felt good to focus on my form. It felt good to lift my legs higher, to make my stride longer.

Kristy decided we should run 4 instead of 5.

I wanted to keep my pace about the same for the entire run. 10 minute miles was my goal.

I pushed myself. I really did.

Less than 10-minute miles!

Granted, I felt like puking when we were done. I may have dry-heaved a few times. But I proved to myself that I CAN RUN FAST(ish).

Kristy was the one who got me out there today. Yet she felt like she had a bad run. She was dragging. She was disappointed. Yet there will be many more times when she has a good run, and I do not. Or we both have a bad run. Or we both have good runs.

I don't know if I could run with a partner. I think I would feel guilty that I wasn't running well enough for them. Just knowing that you and Kristy are up running when I should be is sometimes motivation enough for me!